Self-tracking concrete chute



DEC. 17, 1958 I P. L. WADDINGTON 3,

SELF-TRACKING CONCRETE CHUTE Filed Sept. 30, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORI.

fa'lz' I. WWW Z017 Bi 231k iffy/375% United States Patent 3,416,204 SELF-TRACKING CONCRETE CHUTE Philip L. Waddington, Brantford, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Concrete Pipe Machinery Company, Sioux City, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Sept. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 583,177 8 Claims. (Cl. 25-103) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure comprises a self-tracking concrete chute for pouring concrete into a concrete pipe mold in an endless spiral stream and includes a conveyor, rotatable about a concrete supply station, a chute rotatably mounted beneath the free end of the conveyor, a spring assembly urging the lower chute end against a frusto-conical top of the inner member of the pipe mold, a roller on the chute end to guide the chute about the mold and lever means to move the chute to a non-pouring position.

This invention relates to concrete pipe making machinery, and in particular to an improved discharge chute assembly for circumferentially distributing wet concrete mix into a vertically disposed pipe mold.

The pipe machine and method to which the present invent-ion is most readily applicable is one employing a central station for discharging concrete and a plurality of concrete pipe molds arranged thereabout, each mold movable by means of a supporting, wheeled dolly. Concrete is poured into each of the molds which are then replaced by fresh molds for forming additional sections of pipe. During the pouring step, the individual mold is vibrated so as to compact the concrete between the inner and outer forms of the mold.

The present invention provides a chute which is rotatable about the mold so as to pour concrete into the mold in an endless spiral stream. Thus, the possibility of voids in the completed pipe is almost entirely negated. Additionally, the invention may be moved about the central station to another mold for forming another concrete pipe section. The result is a simple operation for molding concrete pipe at minimum cost.

In basic form, the invention comprises a circular, endless track supported from the central station, a support ring, suspended beneath the circular track, a chute pivotally mounted on the ring on a line outside of the diameter of the ring, a spring assembly urging the chute to a pouring position, and a lever system to move the chute to a non-pouring position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention as well as details of construction may be had by reference to the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial elevational view of the invention in use;

FIGURE 2 is a top, plan view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a partial elevational view of the invention as shown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a detail view of the end of the discharge lchute.

Referring now to the drawings by reference character, FIG. 1 indicates a central station comprising a vertical stand 12 and a concrete mix hopper 14 rotatably mounted thereon. Beneath the hopper 14 is a conveyor of moving flights 16, angled upwardly and outwardly from the base of hopper 14. The invention 18, which may be referred to as a discharge chute assembly, is arranged at the outer end of conveyor 16.

Chute assembly 18 comprises a bracket assembly 20, ring 22, chute 24 and bell crank assembly 26. As can be 3,416,204 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 ice seen most clearly in FIG. 3, assembly 26 includes a pair of mounting plates 28, 28, four suspension arms 30, 30 and 32, 32, a T brace 34 and circular track 36. Mounting plates 28, 28 are attached as by a plurality of bolts 38 (FIG. 1) one at either side of reinforced end section 40 of conveyor 16. A primary discharge hopper 42 is suspended between plates 28, 28 by a pair of L-shaped supports 44, 44, and serves to receive wet concrete mix from the discharge end of conveyor 16.

Further security of the bracket assembly 20 may be assured by means of a pair of end suspension arms 46, 46 (FIG. 1) which may be bolted one on either bottom side of end section 40 and to upstanding ears 48, 48, welded to the upper surface of track 36 (FIG. 3).

Ring 22 is rotatably mounted on track 36 by means of a plurality of rollers 50 held by cars 52 on ring 22. Ring 22 may be driven by any known means, such as a belt dive abort ring 22 or by a friction motor secured on track 36 (not shown). A pair of horizontal cross supports 54, 54 are mounted on the bottom of ring 22 and extend inwardly along a segment of ring 22, as shown in FIG. 2. Chute 24 is pivotally mounted on supports 54, 54 at 56, 56, by means of a pair of plates 58, 58, welded one on each open side of chute 24. It will be noted that the pivotal mounts 56, 56 for chute 24 are offset from a diameter of ring 22. The reason for this will be explained below.

FIGURES l and 3 indicate a pair of springs 60, 60, secured to ring 22 by ears 62 and to plates 58, 58, which serve to urge chute 24 upwardly about pivots 56, 56 to a pouring position, illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 1. The chute is rotated downwardly to a non-pouring position indicated by dash lines in FIG. 1 by bell crank assembly 26, mounted on the rear of track 36. Assembly 26 includes mounts 61, 61, a stationary bar 64 secured in mounts 61, 61, a tubular support 66, rotatable about bar 64, lever arms 68, '68, welded to tubular support 66, and a depression bar 70 attached to the free ends of arms 68, 68. A link arm 72 is welded to one end of support 66 and has its free end attached to the piston rod 74 of a double acting hydraulic cylinder 76. The other end of cylinder 76 is pivotally secured to bracket 78 which is bolted or otherwise suitably mounted on the outer, lower face of one plate 28. It is apparent that chute 24 may be moved to a non-pouring position by movement of piston rod 74 into cylinder 76, thus casing bar 70 to contact the upper edges of support plates 58, 58 of chute 24 and rotate chute 24 downwardly, about pivots 56, 56.

A pipe mold 80 is shown in FIG. 1, including an outer circular form 82 and an inner form 84, having a frustoconical top 86 thereon, and provided with a ring 88 for lifting the form 82 after a concrete pipe section has been formed. Top 86 serves as a track for a guide roller 90 mounted in the tip of chute 24. As can been seen in FIG. 4, chute 24 is warped slightly to provide an upwardly extending side 92, which prevents spilling of wet concrete mix over the side edges of the chute during a pouring operation.

The operation of the invention may now be described. Hopper 14 together with the invention 18 is rotated so as to be centrally located over a pipe mold 80. Hydraulic cylinder 76 is then actuated to extend piston rod 74, thus raising depression bar 70 and allowing chute 24 to pivot about points 56, 56 until roller 90 contacts top 86. Wet concrete mix is then released from hopper 14 to conveyor 16, which carries the mix to hopper 42 and to chute 24. At the same time, ring 22 is rotated, so that mix is discharged into mold 80 in a steady, spiral stream. When the pouring operation is completed, chute 24 may be moved to a non-pouring position by rotating ring 22 so that support plates 58 are disposed beneath arm 70. Chute 24 is then pivoted by bell crank assembly 26, as described above. Hopper l4 and the invention 18 may then be rotated on stand 12 to a central location above another pipe mold, and the pouring process is then repeated.

The offset mounting of chute 24 on a segment of ring 22 rather than across a diameter thereof permits a greater distance between pivots 56, 56 and roller 90 than would be provided by mounting the chute across the centerline or diameter of ring 22. In turn, this increases the radial are through which roller 90 passes in moving from a nonpouring to a pouring position and vice versa. This results in the machine being more adaptable for use with pipe molds having the same height, but widely varying diameters, as roller 90 will move in a direction closely approximating a horizontal ilne, rather than an arc.

This feature, together with the provision of springs 60, which maintain contact of roller 90 with top 86 of inner form 84, permit the invention to be used with elliptical as well as circular pipe molds, and also assure continuous contact of roller 90 while the pipe mold is vibrated to compact the concrete during the pouring operation, to prevent spilling the concrete mix over the outer side of form 82.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have invented a new and highly useful device in the art of discharge chute assemblies for concrete pipe making machinery and therefore I am not to be limited to the exact construction as hereinbefore provided, except as may be deemed to be within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a concrete pipe making machine, including a pipe mold having an inner form and an outer form, and means for conveying concrete to a point above the mold, a discharge chute assembly for introducing wet concrete mix into the mold comprising a circular track, suspended beneath the concrete conveying means, a support ring horizontally rotatably mounted on the circular track, a discharge chute pivotally secured to the ring, first means mounted on the track for moving the chute to a nonpouring position, second means mounted on the ring urging the chute to a pouring position, a frusto-conical top for said inner form, and anti-friction means on the discharge end of said chute arranged to contact said top and guide said discharge end about the top whereby wet concrete mix is circumferentially distributed in spiral form between said forms.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for conveying concrete includes a conveyor having flights thereon, said circular track suspended from said conveying means by a bracket, secured to the discharge end of the conveying means, and a plurality of arms from the bracket to the track, said bracket including a hopper for receiving concrete mix from the conveyor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said support ring has a diameter larger than that of the track, and is rotatably mounted thereon by a plurality of radially spaced rollers on the ring, said ring being disposed beneath said track.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said ring is provided with a pair of supports, mounted along a segment of said ring, and extending inwardly thereof, beneath said track, said chute being pivotally secured to said supports, the upper end of said chute being disposed centrally beneath said ring.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said first means for moving the chute to a non-pouring position comprises a bell crank adapted to pivot said chute downwardly thus moving said discharge end away from said frusto-concial top, said bell crank being actuated by a hydraulic cylinder and piston rod.

6, The device of claim 1 wherein said second means urging the chute to a pouring position comprises a pair of springs, secured to the ring and to the chute, whereby said chute is pivoted upwardly with respect to the ring.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said anti-friction means comprises a freely rotating roller mounted in approximate right angle relation with respect to said frustoconical top.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein one side of said chute has a greater height than the other side of said chute whereby spillage of concrete mix over said one side during a pouring operation is minimized.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,168 7/1915 Jaeckel et a1. 25-37 1,298,647 4/ 1919 BeWley 25-103 1,789,818 1/1931 Hyden et a1.

2,069,451 2/ 1937 Johnson 259-171 3,291,843 8/ I965 Osweiler.

3,334,872 2/ 1967 Hansen et al 259-172 I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

DEWALDEN W. JONES, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

